We’re ready to partner investors in municipal solid waste to energy, waste to wealth — Lagos govt

The Lagos State government has expressed its readiness to collaborate with would-be investors in areas of municipal solid waste to energy, waste to wealth or liquid waste.

The indication was given over the weekend by the Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr. Tokunbo Wahab, while featuring as a panelist at the Harvard University Climate Action Week with the theme: ‘Rising Seas, Resilient Communities, Climate Adaptation Strategies in West Africa’.

According to Wahab, the present administration in Lagos State has set up a climate adaptation plan and climate resilience plan which encapsulates its vision and policies.

He explained that the state had already carried out two pre-feasibility studies on waste to energy and waste water projects to demonstrate its commitment.

According to him, with a population of over 20 million, generating 13,000 metric tonnes of waste daily, Lagos State is adopting a very sustainable climate-friendly approach which tends to see waste as a resource.

“We now see waste as a resource for wealth, a resource for energy because the quantum of waste that ends in our landfill sites will become very minimal whilst we convert our waste into a better resource.

“As a state, we have set up policies and laws that enable us as a sub-national to reach out to neighbouring countries where they have expertise and a proven track record for what we seek to do,” he stated.

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According to a statement signed by Mr Kunle Adeshina, the Director (Public Affairs) of the ministry, the commissioner cited contractual agreement signed 18 months with a company in Ghana, which will take 4,000 metric tonnes of municipal waste out of the 13,000 generated daily and convert it to wealth, composite fertilizers, recyclable plastics and also set up a transfer station for the most challenging parts.

“If that contractual obligation is successfully carried out, we seek to also decommission one of our biggest landfills at Olusosun and Solous. All these are symbols of a progress of collaboration, he explained.

He lamented that aerial geographic information has shown that the original landmass of Lagos which was 3,577 sq.m has increased to 4,050 sq.m due to massive reclamation of wetlands and lagoon water bodies for real estate construction.